Putting device



June 22, 1937. w. EISENBERG PUTTING DEVICE Filed May 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 William 151 s erxbelg Wfifiz Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for teaching the stroke of putting in the game of golf and has for an object to provide a device by means of which valuable assistance may be given to the player in the perfection of his putting stroke.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a device by means of which the movement of the putter may be guided during the actual putting of a golf ball.

An object of the invention resides in providing a device by means of which an ordinary putter may be used and by means of which the putter may be guided so as to travel over the proper path.

Another object of the invention resides in providing two spaced rails and in providing a carriage in which the putter is mounted, said carrier being movable along said rails.

An object of the invention resides in constructing the rails with straight lower edges adapted to rest upon the putting surface and with curved upper edges forming guides for guiding the carriage in the desired path of travel.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing the rails with end members holding the said rails in spaced relation and with a tie plate extending across the rails near the centers thereof and serving a similar purpose, said tie plate being formed with a depression serving as a tee from which the balls may be projected by the putter.

Another object of the invention resides in arranging one of said end members in spaced relation with respect to the surface through which a ball projected from the tee may travel toward the cup.

A feature of the invention resides in providing said carriage with an H-shaped frame having two parallel frame members and a cross frame member and in pivoting wheels to said parallel frame members adapted to travel along the curved edges of said rails.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a club holder hung from said carriage and pivoted to the cross frame member thereof.

A still further object of the invention resides in detachably supporting the club head in said club holder.

Another object of the invention resides in arranging the club holder to swing about two axes, one axis being parallel with the cross frame member and the other being at right angles thereto.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing the club holder with two spaced hangers adapted to receive the head of the putter, said hangers leaving the face of the putter free to engage the ball that is to be projected.

An object of the invention resides in constructing said hangers U-shaped to receive the head of the club and in providing a set screw attached 5 to the club holder for engagement with the back of the club to maintain the club head mounted in the hangers.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a putting device illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational, sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevational sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 2 and drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the game of golf the art of putting is of paramount importance due to the fact that onehalf of the strokes of the game are taken on the green. The putting stroke is, however, entirely different from the other golf strokes and considerable skill is required to execute this stroke by reason of which a great many golf players never become proficient. In the teaching of the game, it is extremely diflicult to explain by language just how the club should be manipulated both on the back swing and on the forward swing. The present invention provides a device by means of which the head of the putter is positively guided when the club is manipulated by the player in such a manner as to cause the player to properly execute the stroke and the ball to be driven in a straight line toward the cup without lateral spin.

My invention proper consists of a track indicated in its entirety by the reference character A and a carrier B to which the club C is attached, which carrier moves along the track A and guides 5 the club C in the desired path. These various parts will now be described in detail.

In the use of my invention any ordinary putter such as indicated at C may be employed which comprises a shaft l0 having an ordinary putter 50 head I l secured thereto in ofiset relation with respect thereto. The putter head II is provided with a face l2 arranged at a slight angle with respect to the axis of the shaft and with a sole l3 issuing angularly from the face 12 and form- 55 ing an acute angle with said face. the club head is indicated by the reference numeral I4 and is more nearly parallel with the axis of the shaft forming in conjunction with the face I2 a wedge-like structure best shown in Fig. 4. The invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with a club such as described, though it can readily be comprehended that the supporting structure may be modified to support other types of putters if found desirable.

The track A consists of two rails IS and I6 which may be constructed of wood or any other suitable material. When constructed of wood the two rails I5 and I6 are formed of boards of suitable width and thickness which are provided with straight lower edges I1 and I8 and with curved upper edges I 9 and 26 conforming in ourvature to the arc to be followed by the club head I I when the same is being properly swung by the player. In most cases the curvature will be the same on both sides of the center of the device, though any form of curvature may be adopted. A true arc of about forty-four inches radius serves admirably. The edges I9 and 26 of the rails I5 and I 6 are provided with grooves 22 and 23 which are formed therein through a router, shaper or any other similar wood working machine. These grooves are preferably tapered'so as to eliminate play and friction and to cause the carrier to travel in the desired course.

The two rails I 5 and I6 are connected together at their ends through end members 24 and 25 which may be constructed as castings or metal stampings. These end members are formed with flanges 26 which fit along the inner surfaces of the two rails and which hold the rails in proper spaced relation. Screws 28 pass through the end members and are screwed into the ends of the rails and serve to hold the parts attached to one another. The forward end member 24 is preferably constructed arched at the lowermost portion thereof as designated at 29 to provide a space 3I between the said end member and the surface on which the device is placed through which space the projected ball may travel in its course to the cup.

The carrier B consists of a carriage 32 which has attached to it a holder 33 in which the club C is mounted. The carriage 32 travels over the edges I9 and 20 of the rails I5 and I6 and serves to guide the club head II for movement along the desired path.

The carriage 32 consists of a frame 34 of H shape, which is constructed with two parallel frame members 35 and 36 and a cross frame member 3'! connected to the parallel frame members intermediate the ends thereof. At the ends of the parallel members 35 and 36 are journaled supporting wheels 38, 39, 40 and M which are rotatably mounted on studded trunnions 42 screwed into the end frame members 35 and 36.

These trunnions are provided with reduced ends 56 which are threaded into bosses 50 formed on the parallel frame members 35 and 36. The wheels 38, 39, 40 and 4| are provided with rubber tires 43 of a width such as to fit snugly within the grooves 23 and 24 and to roll freely along the same. The said grooves serve as guides for guiding the carriage for movement along the edges I9 and 26 of the rails I5 and I6. Due to the taper of the grooves, line contact is provided whereby play is eliminated and friction reduced.

The holder 33 consists of two hangers 44 and 45 which are connected together through a cross bar I46. The two hangers 44 and 45 are prefer- The back of ably formed of strips of metal bent to provide depending portions 46 and upturned portions 41 spaced from the portions 46 and connected thereto through connecting portions ill. The upturned portions 41 serve as jaws against which the face I2 of the putter is urged and are sufficiently spaced from the depending portions to freely receive the head of the putter. The hanger 45 is constructed in the same manner and the cross bar 46 is attached to the depending portions of said hangers by pivoting or otherwise at a locality opposite the back I4 of the club. The ends of the depending portions 46 of the two hangers 44 and 45 are each given a quarter twist to provide two ears 48 and 49 by means of which the hangers may be hung from the carriage 32.

For the purpose of holding the club in position within the club holder a set screw 52 is utilized which is threaded into the cross bar 46 and which engages the back of club as shown in Fig. 4. It will be found that all putters have a straight face. For this reason the face of the club is urged against the upstanding jaws 41 which properly positions the club with respect to the club holder. It hence is immaterial what shape the back of the club has. Due to the wedge shape of the club head the club is held in position within the holder and disengagement prevented without the necessity of screwing the screw 52 down tight.

The two hangers 44 and 45 are pivoted to a bracket 53 by means of a pintle 54 which extends through the two ears 48 and 49 and to two ears 55 and 56 formed on the ends of said bracket. The pintle 54 extends in a direction substantially parallel with the cross frame member 31 of frame 35 and permits the clubhead II to follow along the prescribed course without interference with the travel of the various wheels of the carriage 35 along the track. The bracket 53 is pivoted to the cross frame member 31 of frame 35 through a bolt 51 which extends jointly through said bracket and frame member and which is threaded into said frame member and secured thereto through a lock nut 58 screwed upon the end of said bolt. By means of this construction the player may adjust the club to fit his particular stature and position without causing the wheels of the carriage to depart from the rails along which they travel, permitting the player to handle the club in an extremely simple and practical manner.

For the purpose of supporting the ball while the same is being projected by the putting device, a plate-like spacer member 6| is employed which is disposed between the two rails I5 and I6 and which holds said rails at the centers thereof in proper spaced relation. This plate-like member is provided with a base portion 62 which lies flush with the edges I1 and I8 of the rails I 5 and I6 and is further constructed with two up-turned fianges 63 and 64 secured to the inner surfaces of the said rails through screws 65. At the proper location and upon the upper surface of the plate-like member BI is provided a depression 66 which serves as a tee for supporting a ball in proper position to be propelled by the putter. The position of the ball when mounted in said tee is shown in dotted lines at 61 in Fig. 5. The holder 33 is so constructed that the portions SI of the hangers 44 and 45 clear the upper surface of the spacer member 6| when the carriage 32 is traveling along the rails I5 and I 6. The tee 66 is so disposed that the ball contacts with the club head II at the center of the percussion thereof so that the ball is properly propelled over the playing surface when the club is manipulated in the desired manner. In rendering instructions in the use of the device the student is stationed on one side of the device and the instructor on the other side. In order to enable the instructor to show the student how to swing the club it is merely necessary for him to reverse the carrier B and swing in the opposite direction. For the purpose of supporting the ball when the device is so used another tee I66 is employed which is formed as an indentation in the base portion 62 of plate-like member 6| in the proper locality and which functions the same as tee 66.

The manner of using my invention is as follows: The device may be used upon any type of 'the putting green with the two rails l5 and I6 putting green either indoors or outdoors. When the device is to be used on a level surface the player takes the device and places the same upon parallel to a line extending between the center of the cup and the tee 66. The device may be situated at any distance from the cup which the player desires, the principle involved being the same for all lengths of putts. The player then attaches his putter to the device by placing the same within the spaces formed between the portions 43 and ll of the hangers 44 and 45 of the club holder 33. The club is lowered until the wall If! thereof engages the portion of the said hangers. Set screw 52 is next adjusted which brings the jaws 41 into engagement with the face of the club and which holds the. clubattached to the support. The device is then ready for use. The player next takes his stance adjacent the rail It or rail [5 as the case may be with his feet fairly close together and with his weight largely upon his left foot. He then adjusts himself until his head is directly over the ball placed upon the tee 66. The player then next takes a grip of the club and may employ any desired approved grip. The applicant has found that a firm grasp with all of the fingers of the right hand and with the thumb on the shaft and with the first three fingers of the left hand upon the shaft and the forefinger of the left hand overlapping the little finger of the right hand and with the left thumb also. upon the shaft produces splendid results. With the right forearm resting against the body of the player and with the left elbow pointing in the direction of the cup, the arms are practically held immobile relative to the body of the player and the execution of the stroke greater facilitated. Without the movement of the body and arms and mainly through the action of the wrists, the player swings the club rearwardly, the force being manually transferred to the club through the left hand. After the force is applied to the club the carriage 32 travels along the two rails I5 and [6 which causes the club head to follow along the desired path constituting the upswing of the stroke. The player then reverses the procedure and applies force to the club through the right hand carrying the club down to the ball and propelling the ball off the tee 66 and along the playing surface on which the putting device is stationed. The player continues the movement of the club along the forward portion of the track which constitutes the follow through of the swing. In the execution of the putting stroke it is desirable that the putter be manipulated at a certain speed, which is relatively slow as compared to the maximum speed with which it is possible to swing the club. The Weight of the carriage and the friction of the wheels upon the rails along which they travel help reduce the speed of the club head to the proper speed. The device is so designed that when the player swings the club at a comfortable rate of speed not requiring too much exertion, that the said club head and carriage travel at approximately the proper speed to procure the best results in putting. While the carriage is traveling, the same takes a path such as is determined by the curvature of the edges I9 and 2| of the two rails l5 and I6 and in a vertical plane containing the cup and tee. This curvature is determined through experiment and is so designed that the player is caused to swing the club through the proper arc and also in the proper direction to procure the desired results. When the stroke is properly executed the carriage follows along the track. If, however, it is improperly guided, the wheels are readily forced out of the track and the player becomes readily aware of his error. In the first use of the device it frequently becomes difficult to cause the ball to travel more than a few feet. This is due to an attempt to accelerate the club and carriage too rapidly. When the movement is slowed down, the club is caused to sweep through the ball rather than to strike it which causes the ball to travel in the proper manner. After the user has experimented with the device, the feel of the club in traveling over the prescribed path is readily ascertained and he may thereafter attempt to execute the same movement without the aid of the device. The applicant has made numerous tests and has found that pupils learn very quickly with the putting device to execute the movements in the prescribed manner and thereafter are able to reproduce them without appreciable effort. When it becomes desirable to practice on sloping surfaces the device is adjusted to allow for the roll and the same procedure followed.

My invention is highly advantageous in that an extremely simple and practical device is provided, whereby actual assistance may be given to pupils desiring to learn the correct method of putting. With my device the pupils favorite putter may be used and applied to the putting device, making it unnecessary to use a putter forming a part thereof. The device not only teaches the correct manner of executing the stroke but causes the club to be swung in the proper plane so as to procure direction for the travel of the ball. In addition the device assists in teaching the pupil the proper timing of the stroke, thereby preventing striking the ball instead of sweeping through the ball as recommended by the professionals. The device offers no appreciable inconvenience to the player and is readily adjustable to variations in stance and posture of the player due to his height and other personal characteristics. The device does not have to be anchored to the ground and can be readily adjusted to permit of directing balls on sloping surfaces. The device is equally as easily used by left hand or right hand players.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A putting device comprising two spaced rails, said rails having straight lower edges adapted to rest upon the putting surface, and curved upper edges, a carriage guided for movement through a curved path by the upper edges of said rails, means for attaching a putter to said carriage, and cross members extending across said rails, one of said cross members providing an opening above the putting surface through which a ball projected by the putter may travel.

2. A putting device comprising two spaced rails providing curved guides, a carriage movable along said guides, means for attaching a club to said carriage, and a spacer member extending across said rails at the centers of said rails, said spacer member having means for supporting a ball in a position tobe struck-by 'the'club when guided for movement by said guides.

3. A putting device comprising two spaced rails providing curved guides, a carriage movable along said guides, means for attaching a club to said carriage and a plate extending across said rails at the centers of said rails, said plate having an indentation therein serving""as a tee for supporting a ball .in a position to be struck by the club when guided for movement along said guides.

4. A putting device comprising a track supportable on a putting surface and having an upper bearing surface, a carriage having supporting wheels rollable along said bearing surface of said track, one thereof being channeled to receive the other thereby to maintain fixed lateral relation between carriage and track without resistance to the elevation of the carriage from the track, a hanger depending from the carriage, means for attaching a putter to said hanger at a point beneath the bearing surface of the track and with the head of the putter positioned to strike a ball on the putting surface when the carriage is moved back and forth on the track, through the medium of the putter, as in a putting stroke.

5. A putting device comprising two spaced tracks supportable upon a putting surface, a carriage having wheels rollable along said tracks, two thereof being fore and aft wheels at one side of the carriage riding upon one of said tracks, said carriage including a cross-frame member disposed between said fore and aft wheels, a putter support consisting of a hanger depending from said cross-frame member and having means for receiving the putter head and positioning the same to strike a ball on the putting surface, when the carriage is rolled back and forth on the track, through the medium of the putter, as in a putting stroke.

6. A putting device comprising a track and means for supporting the same above a putting surface, a carriage movable back and forth upon said track, a support for a putter consisting of a hanger pivotally hung from said carriage, said hanger including spaced abutments adapted to engage the face of the putter head at either side of the center of percussion thereof, said abutments having connecting means therebetween, a part of such means being disposed at the rear of the putter head, and means carried by said part for clamping the face of said head against said abutments, the putter in the grip of said hanger being supported in putting position with the face thereof disposed to strike a ball on the putting surface upon the movement of the carriage through the medium of the putter as in a putting stroke.

7. A putting device comprising a pair of tracks supportable on a putting surface, a carriage mounted for movement along said tracks, said carriage being readily displaceable from the tracks by the exertion of an upwardly directed force, a hanger pivotally mounted on the carriage and depending therefrom, between said tracks, in a balanced position, by the action of gravity, means on the hanger for attaching the head of a putter thereto, said attaching means, in the normal balanced position of the hanger, receiving the putter head in proper ball addressing position.

WILLIAM EISENBERG. 

